


Checking (You) Out

by FelixMinou (clockworkgirl221)



Category: Hamilton - Miranda, Turn (TV 2014)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Library, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-09
Updated: 2016-03-09
Packaged: 2018-05-25 15:27:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6200626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clockworkgirl221/pseuds/FelixMinou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gilbert de Lafayette volunteers at a library when Peggy Schuyler and John Laurens beg them to become their collection inventory aide. Gilbert’s life is soon filled with secret sketches, fake-flirting, cute information desk clerks, and, of course, schlepping books back and forth from one side of the library to the other and back again.</p><p>washette and lams modern library au.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Checking (You) Out

“You should volunteer at the local library,” Peggy said, elbowing them softly in their side.

They giggle, “Pourquoi, mon cher ami?”

Peggy looked over at John Laurens, who was scribbling something in a sketchbook. “Because it’s a good thing to put on your resume. Gets you a few references, too. And because Laurens and I do it. Peer pressure: Volunteer at the library.”

Gilbert de Lafayette smiled, “Vraiment?”

John looked up from his sketch, glaring at Peggy, who waggled their fingers at him. “While that is true, we are in desperate need of a collection inventory aide, too. We get far too many books from the mostly local English students who are graduating and don’t need their copies of  _ Pride and Prejudice _ and  _ Madame Bovary _ , so we need someone who can help us go through our collection and get rid of all those books we don’t need anymore. Burr is getting antsy, and since Peggy and I have our sections, we can’t help in the other fiction sections.”

“Other fiction sections?” Gilbert asked.

“I have YA, John has Children’s,” Peggy explained, “You see, we need someone who can do the other fiction sections, and we won’t ever touch the nonfiction sections.”

“Even though the University clearly has all the best nonfiction stuff,” John muttered, closing the sketchbook. “Think about it, Gil. It might be fun for us three to have something that’s just ours.”

“My sisters work at the library,” Peggy added. “Eliza volunteers on Friday and reads to pre-schoolers, and Angelica runs the library with an iron fist.”

“She sounds like a woman after my own heart,” Gilbert replied with a smile. “Reminds me of my chere amie Adrienne back home.”

“Who your grandparents want you to marry,” John said pointedly, the statement hanging rather as a question.

“We dated in middle school,” Gilbert replied. “But then her parents adopted me, so marriage between us would be tres etrange, non? If I had to marry, though, later in my life, I would choose her, and we could have all the benefits of a loving, if not conventional, marriage of equals.”

“So, library?” Peggy asked pointedly.

Gilbert giggled and lightly punched Peggy’s arm. “I’ll at least fill out the form.”

\--

The public library was a squat little building with two turrets haphazardly built onto the sides. John and Peggy escorted Gilbert into the foyer, and then into the wide expanse beyond. There was huge middle section of the one room where tables lined both sides of a wooden floor. The shelves inhabited the carpeted outer section. In the back near the start of the fiction section was the information desk, where two men sat. One looked up, and, seeing John and Peggy on either side of them, stood up and approached Gilbert.

“Gilbert de Lafayette?”

“Oui, monsieur,” Gilbert replied with a slight bow.

The man’s lips twitched. “Aaron Burr.”

“Sir,” Peggy breathed beside Gilbert, chuckling.

Gilbert smiled at Burr, “Bonjour, Monsieur Burr.”

Burr nodded, “We really do need a collection inventory aide.”

“So I’ve heard,” Gilbert replied.

Burr led Lafayette to the information desk, where his coworker took out a red binder. “Write your name and collection inventory. You sign here, add how long you worked, and then how many hours,” the man said.

“Gilbert de Lafayette, this is the other information desk clerk, George Washington.”

Gilbert looked at the man.  _ Merde,  _ this George Washington looked like a strong--and smart man. And he was gorgeous to boot. Just Lafayette’s rather unconventional type.

“When will you be volunteering?” Burr asked, hardly seeing the electricity coursing through Gilbert as he watched George Washington’s face.

“Oh, um… when do you need me too? My evenings are wide open…” Gilbert managed to answer breathily.

“Well, we close at 9,” Burr replied. “And since you’re a university student, you only need to volunteer about two hours a day…”

“7 to 9 then?” George asked. “What days do you prefer?”

“I’d rather they be here when I am,” Burr responded. “Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and every other Saturday.”

“I’ll do all of them,” Gilbert replied. “When do you work, Monsieur Washington?”

“Every day, it seems,” the man gruffed with a smile.

Aaron Burr checked his watch, “Laurens and Schuyler,” he said to the two of them. They had come up to the information desk after putting away their things in the volunteer cubbies.

“Reporting for duty,” John snarked, putting out his hand for the red binder.

“When do you two work?” Gilbert asked as John flipped through to his volunteer sheet.

“I’m supposed to work Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays with this one here,” Peggy said, “From 10 to 11 in the morning and then 4 to 5 in the afternoons. But we end up coming in Mondays and Fridays in the evenings, and Saturdays sometimes, when Greene and Knox are on their chosen night off.”

“Can you start right now?” Burr asked. It was about 4 o’clock, and a Thursday.

“Bien sur,” Gilbert replied.

Aaron Burr showed the French student where the cubbies were, and how to use the library scanners and computers. Gilbert’s main duties were to take doubles off the shelves: books that had two or more copies, and take them out of the system. Then he was charged with putting the books into the Friends of the Library room for the Friends to sell on Wednesday afternoons. Gilbert was also allowed to take any books they wanted home with them. After finding all the doubles, Burr suggested they go through the paperbacks and find any that were beat up and raggedy, or anything that was taken into the collection even a year before.

“They’ll be filled up again before you know it,” Burr told them.

After getting their assignment and going through the little training Burr decided to give him, Gilbert signed out and waited around for their friends to finish up.

That’s when he noticed someone at the information desk (he was totally not checking out George Washington. Totally. Not).

“Alexander Hamilton?” they asked once they could get a word in.

Alex was in their French class (Gilbert was a glorified TA to the upper level classes) and was pretty fluent for a native English speaker. Gilbert loved to get into playful arguments with him when the rest of the class couldn’t even follow normal conversations.

Alex was talking animatedly to both Burr and George about military history, and when he came up for breath he turned to Gilbertand smiled widely.

“Gilbert de Lafayette!” he said, going straight for the double cheek kiss customary in France.

Gilbert smiled, “Doesn’t the University have a library?”

Alex shrugged, “Yes, but this library is quieter--”

“Sometimes,” Burr interjected.

“--and I like the staff a bit better.”

Here he looked pointedly at John, who was sitting quietly at the Children’s library desk, checking in the titles. The other boy looked up at them both, blushed, and went back to his work.

Gilbert rolled their eyes. They knew Alex had been crushing on their roommate since the start of the semester, when Alex had knocked on their room door and been greeted by Gilbert instead of John. He had had such a sad pout that Gilbert guessed right away he had been wanting to see John instead of the new French exchange student. Though Gilbert and Alex had gotten along, Alex’s eyes had brightened considerably when John had returned to the room.

“I feel so loved,” Gilbert sighed, putting their hand over their heart and fluttering their eyelashes at Alex.

Alex took the bait and took one of Gilbert’s hands to kiss their knuckles, “It makes me so much happier that you have decided to join the voluntary staff, mon cher…”

“What about John?” Gilbert asked, eyebrows raising.

Alex deflated, glaring first at Gilbert, and then making a softened expression over at John, who was decidedly not looking at them.

“You could just tell him,” Gilbert said.

Alexander shrugged and went back to his table. Gilbert joined him, taking out their own work and working in silence with Alex. Every once in while, though, Gil looked up to the information desk, contemplating the way George Washington’s face narrowed as he typed something up on his computer, or how he would break into a smile when someone came up for help.

_ Merde. _

\--

George Washington had seen volunteers come and go. It was a University town, so of course students volunteered to get something on their resume, but they never stayed. He cared little for the lives and loves of these volunteers, but he found himself rooting for Peggy Schuyler and John Laurens, especially after meeting Eliza Schuyler and Alexander Hamilton. The Schuylers Washington knew because of Angelica, who had been an incredible Head Librarian since she had taken over. Elizabeth was blossoming into a beautiful and passionate young lady, and Peggy… well, Peggy was themself, plain and simple.

He had met John Laurens first. The younger man had been trying to find a quiet space to study his freshman year, and had made the half-mile trek down to the public library instead of going across campus to the university’s library. He had brought Peggy with him for a project the second time he visited. Peggy introduced John to Angelica, and soon they were both volunteering: Peggy under Nathan Greene, and John under Henry Knox.

George liked the broken monotony when the two of them were volunteering: even when Alexander Hamilton started visiting. Alex had started coming in at the heels of Eliza on the Fridays when she read to the kids. He had stayed for John, however.

George Washington liked it even more when Gilbert de Lafayette started, too.

They reported to Aaron Burr every time they came, and when Burr was out taking a bathroom break George would receive them instead.

Gilbert was hard-working, and passionate about learning the English language and American history and culture. Of course they would speak quietly to their friends, but they always made sure they were working at least 80% of the time they volunteered.

Sometimes Gilbert would be there even when they weren’t volunteering, like the afternoons both John and Peggy worked. Then they and Alex would flirt dramatically with one another, and then both would quiet down and get some work done. The behavior between the two boys perplexed George, but Peggy once explained that they were just being dramatic, that Alex was a drama queen and Gil almost equally so ( _ almost _ ).

It was one of those days when Gilbert came in in the afternoon with Peggy and John and sat down alone, since Alexander was either late or had somewhere (barely) better to be. They opened up a history textbook and took out a highlighter, a pen and a notebook, but instead of getting to work right away, they took a heart shaped locket sans golden chain out of their bag and opened it, gazing fondly at the two pictures inside.

George Washington was curious, so he left the desk to Burr, who was furiously typing something and hardly paying attention to anyone else (oh, to be the patron who broke  _ that _ concentration). He approached Gilbert cautiously, putting a hand on the student’s shoulder. He saw that both pictures has the same girl with brown curls, smiling prettily. One picture had just the girl, and the other picture had Gilbert smiling with her, both of them cheek to cheek. Gil snapped to attention at George’s touch, snapping the locket closed and looking up at him. They flushed. “Zut alor, Monsieur Washington,” they whispered.

“Sorry,” George replied sheepishly. “I wanted to see who you had in your locket. Is… she… your girlfriend?”

Gilbert looked at the closed locket cradled in their hands. They chuckled sweetly. “Ah, non,” they replied slowly. “She is my adopted sister. Her family took me in and took care of me when my mother couldn’t. Adrienne and I… we have become very close. She and I would wear dresses around the house together, and soon after I came out to her, she would lend me dresses, or anything out of her wardrobe. We even started sharing clothes in high school.”

George raised his eyebrows, “I did not know you were an orphan.”

Gilbert shrugged. “It did not feel that way with the Noailles.”

George left Gilbert de Lafayette alone then, but every time that he possibly could, he watched the youngster with a faraway look in his eye.

\--

John didn’t let anyone see his sketchbooks. If he could, he would keep them under lock and key. He wasn’t even an art student (Political Science major), so it wasn’t like he had any secret art projects for class.

He just liked to draw.

So Gil made it their mission to figure out why John was so secretive about his drawing.

“He’s probably drawing erotic queer aliens or something,” Peggy told them one day over a study date.

Gilbert didn’t quite believe  _ that _ , so the next time they were volunteering, they asked around.

“He just… doodles?” Greene said. “I mean, when I’m here I don’t give him a lot to do unless there’s books in the return bin, so he’s just there to help the kids find stuff most days. He needs something to do, and he gets so deep into whatever he reads that doodling is his best bet for days like those.”

That didn’t explain the secretiveness, Gilbert humbly thought.

They once saw John sketching at his desk when Gil and Alex were sitting together while they waited for John and Peggy to finish up so they could go back to campus and get dinner. John was furtively glancing up at where the two sat, then looking down again at the page in his sketchbook. He was drawing  _ people _ then. Gilbert glanced at Alex, smirking slightly to themself before returning to work.

They tried to catch John drawing in the evenings when the three of them were all working. They got busier, however, when Gil began going through the fiction section again, looking for books that hadn’t circulated in 9 months. Gilbert went back and forth between the staff room and the fiction section at the other end of the library, and they didn’t ever pass by John or Peggy. They did, however, pass by George Washington and Aaron Burr a lot. Aaron, of course, had lots of work to do, and his eyes were always glued to the computer screen. George looked up and smiled at Gil whenever they passed, which made Gil smile back, and his heart flutter. They liked this work a lot better.

They were just helping close up on a night when John wasn’t actually there. Gilbert, in passing, said, “I just wish I knew what John was sketching all the time.”

The only people still working that night was George Washington, Angelica Schulyer, and Peggy. Eliza was the one picking up her two sisters to take them home that evening. Gilbert was going to walk home.

“He draws Alex, mostly,” Angelica said.

Gilbert looked at her, “How do you know that, madamoiselle?”

Angelica grinned, “I took a look through his sketchbook.”

“How did you get a hand on his sketchbook, sis?” Peggy asked.

“It wasn’t that hard,” Angelica shrugged. “He gave it to me to look over.”

“And here I thought you were a master spy or something,” Gilbert said, crossing their arms over their chest and pouting theatrically.

George couldn’t take his eyes off that puckered bottom lip.

Angelica shrugged again, “I do a bit of art too,” she said. “We got to talking one morning when John didn’t have a lot to do and was helping me at the front desk. I gave him my art journal. He’s a courteous young man, so he gave me his sketchbook. Had to make me promise I wouldn’t laugh at him for it.”

“So he draws Alex?” Peggy asked. “Alexander Hamilton?”

“And sometimes you, Peggy, and Gilbert. Sometimes even George here, and Aaron. He promised to draw me a couple times, too,” Angelica chuckled. “But yes. Most pages are filled only with young Mr. Hamilton. In various states of dress.” Here Angelica winked at Gilbert, who grinned.

“Those two need to get together already,” they said.

George Washington insisted he take Gil back to the dorms that night. Gil tried not to preen as he got into George’s car.

“Merci beaucoup, monsieur,” Gilbert said to him, preening.

George laughed, “English, Mx Lafayette.”

“Oh, desole--sorry,” Gilbert replied with a giggle. George tried not to slam the palm of his hand on the steering wheel at the sound. “I forget not everyone can understand French: John and Peggy are almost fluent in it, and Alex, well, he could be better than me, but that’s because he tries much too hard.”

George nodded, “That he does. So… uh…” he fished for another topic. The way Gilbert spoke of their friends was almost like worship. And the way Gilbert and Alex play-flirted was unnerving to the older man, for some odd reason. “Do you have any plans for Thanksgiving?”

Gilbert shrugged, tapping some sort of rhythm out on their leg. “John is taking me home with him. We don’t usually have this week off in France, and it is such a little holiday, that I will not be going home for it.”

“And… when do you go home for good?” George asked, his stomach sinking as he remembered that Gil was just an exchange student.

“Oh, never, I hope,” Gil replied, grinning, “Peggy swears they will marry me so I can stay over here. But, as I think that was a joke on Peggy’s part, I will be leaving for good after the spring semester. I am here for the entire school year.”

“Oh,” George replied. “Do you… have plans for the Holiday break, then?”

Gilbert suddenly scooted to the edge of his seat excitedly. “Ma chere Adrienne is coming to town, and we are staying with the Schuylers. It should be a great time for all of us, because Adrienne is such a fun girl, and I glow in her presence. I am sure the Schuyler sisters will like her as well.”

George cleared his throat, feeling Gilbert’s positive energy all around him. He couldn’t help but smile. “That sounds great. Um… the library has a holiday party, and I’m sure, uh, Angelica will have some of her dearest friends over for New Year’s, so I’ll see you then, too.”

“A library holiday party?” Gil mused. “Do you wear those ugly sweaters and have a how do you say, Secret Santa?”

“We do exchange gifts yes. And we invite all staff members and volunteers to come,” George replied. “Will you… come?”

They were coming up on Gilbert and John’s dorm building, so Gilbert grabbed their bag (a glorified purse with room enough to bring about three textbooks, a notebook, some pens, and their wallet and keys) from between their legs and hesitated as the car slowed. Then they took a chance: putting a hand on the older man’s shoulder and kissing his cheek. “Thank you again for the ride… George,” they said, biting their bottom lip.

George watched them, fascinated, until Gil turned from him, opened the door, and went out into the night.

\--

After the Thanksgiving break, there was only a week before the Holiday break. The library would still be open, but the volunteers weren’t forced to come in and work. The library closed for Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day. The University’s winter break started the second week of December. So the holiday party was slotted for the Saturday night after Finals and before the students would be going home.

During Finals week, the trio studied at the public library, where there was room. Alex and Elizabeth sometimes joined them, but it was mostly Peggy, John, and Gilbert. They weren’t expected to do much volunteering that week, just studying hard.

“Alex likes you back, by the way,” Peggy hissed to John as they entered the library for their daily study session. Alex and Elizabeth had their exams, and so wouldn’t be joining them for a few hours. “You’re all he talks about when he’s not studying. Every poem he has to analyze somehow goes back to the way you smile or the way your eyes crinkle when you laugh. It’s disgusting.”

Gilbert giggled, “I think it’s romantic.”

John was blushing.

Gilbert went on, “You draw him all the time, unless you’re drawing me or Peggy. You stare at him from across the room when he’s here, and you stare at him when we’re having lunch with him, or studying with him. He’s always looking for reasons to touch you. He’s smitten. You’re smitten. Do something about it, will you?”

Peggy nodded, “And if you don’t, Elizabeth will ask him out next semester. That was her ultimatum. You’ve known how helplessly into him she’s been since the beginning. But she loves your friendship so much that she’s willing to give up on him and move on if you make your move  _ soon _ !”

John looked helplessly at Gilbert, who shrugged and turned the page of their textbook.

“Well… I’ll, um. Try to find some time,” John finally said after gulping. “Soon. By Friday.”

But Friday came and went, and soon it was Saturday, and John was packed up to go back to South Carolina for the holidays. Gilbert moved in with Peggy and the Schuyler sisters that very Saturday afternoon. Adrienne would be there Monday after. John was getting on a plane Sunday, so he was staying one night with the Schulyer sisters so that he could go to the library holiday party that night.

“I can’t believe you chickened out,” Elizabeth hissed. “He’s leaving us tomorrow for New York, and if you don’t get your butt on that I will be asking him out when we get back!”

John and Eliza were sitting on an armchair together at the Schuyler’s house where the party was at. Gil and Peggy sat on the floor, Peggy reading a magazine, and Gil focused on George Washington, who was standing a few feet behind the armchair and talking to Aaron Burr.

John only moaned into Elizabeth’s chest.

**Gilbert:** _ Text Laurens. He has something to tell you, and I’m sure you do too. _

**Alex:** _ How do you know? That he has something to tell me? _

**Gilbert:** _ Will you just text the poor boy? He sounds like that lady in that movie based on that book that you showed me last week! _

**Alex:** _ Romeo and Juliet? You should have paid attention, my darling. <3 _

**Gilbert:** _ TEXT. JOHN. NOW. _

**Gilbert:** _ <3 <3 <3 _

John’s phone buzzed a few moments later, and Gilbert smirked to himself. A few texts later, John was saying his goodbyes quickly, and leaving the party.

Eliza sighed, “What did you do, Gil?”

“Just nudged Alex hard in the right direction.”

“Speaking of nudging,” Peggy said, and pulled Gilbert to their feet. “Mr. Aaron Burr, sir, is done talking to Mr. Washington. Why don’t you give him his present, lover?”

They shoved them in the direction of George, who was still lounging around the back of the students’ chair.

They shrugged at their friends and made their way confidently over to George.

“Ah, Mx Lafayette,” Geoge said, putting out his hand for the student to shake.

Gilbert blinks at the hand offered, but instead puts their hand on George’s arm and kisses each of the man’s cheeks cautiously. “Happy holidays, George,” they say as they profure George’s gift.

Most of the library staff that night had gotten classic English books translated into French from Gilbert. But George Washington was something special, so he had gotten a handmade scarf. Like John’s sketching, Gil liked to knit, though all they could knit was large blankets and scarves. But this scarf was very soft, in the colors of the French and American flags. George draped it around his neck. It did look nice against the black of his suit jacket. “Ah… um. Merci beaucoup, Mx Lafayette.”

The older man seemed embarrassed now, putting his hand behind his head and rubbing the back of his neck. He suddenly clasped Gilbert’s hand between both of his own and said, “I know this might be, um, a bit forward, and I know that you might not at all be interested, but I have to say this to you now, because we don’t really have much time and I would rather say this to you now and maybe have a chance instead of waiting until the very last minute so, um,” and then in halting, and quite bad, French, “ _ Can I take you to dinner sometime? _ ” He then kissed the corner of Gilbert’s mouth quickly.

Gilbert stared at George, their eyes fluttering closed as they tried to translate their punctured language. Then they smiled. “Oh, George,” they breathed.

George held his breath. Gilbert’s pretty eyes opened again, and that smile they gave him was infectious. He hoped this wasn’t Gilbert’s way of trying to let George down easy.

“ _ You’re so smart, and handsome, and brave. I’ve been attracted to you since the day I met you, but as I’ve gotten to know you it’s turned into something deeper…  _ I wish we had more time to be together,” Gilbert told him, catching his breath. It was only due to George’s confused look that they realized they had said the entire first part in French.

“I’d like that,” Gilbert said, huffing a laugh. They took both of George’s hands in their own and pulled the older man toward them. They closed the space between their mouths with a gentle kiss. “I’ve dreamed of doing that for a while,” they said when they released the older man.

George smiled, blushing, “You can stop dreaming of it, if you wish.”

“I want to dream of it and do it the waking hours too,” Gilbert replied, and kissed him again, this time a little hungrily, but George was kissing him just the same way back, so it wasn’t a problem.

\--

Peggy and Gilbert didn’t hear back from John until the morning, when he arrived on Peggy’s front doorstep in the same clothes he had worn to the library holiday party. He was there for his bags, and it was Alex’s car that was idling on the curb outside the Schulyer residence to take him to the airport. Gilbert and Peggy waved triumphantly at Alex as John ducked sheepishly into the house to get his bags.

**Author's Note:**

> Finally, it is done. Please don't ask about a sequel. Even I don't have a plan for that... yet.
> 
> Translations:  
> Pourquoi, mon cher ami - Why, my dear friend  
> Vraiment - Really  
> Merde - Shit  
> Bien sur - Of course  
> Zut alors - Darnit
> 
> You can come talk to me about headcanons and general malarky over on my tumblr: petitminou-kun


End file.
